Lehigh Primary Ballot Will Be Crowded This Year

Lehigh County's final tally of nominating petitions filed Tuesday shows 657 people will seek nominations in the May 21 primary, topping the 330 candidates who filed in the 1983 municipal election.

This year, more Republicans than Democrats filed. The party breakdown was 332 Republicans, 325 Democrats.

The especially high number of candidates is due to the inspector of election and judge of election posts that have to be filled in the county's 146 voting districts, according to Faye Guinther, chief clerk of the county election board.

The election bureau staff will accept objections to any nominating petitions filed by a candidate until Tuesday, at which point the bureau will begin preparing for candidates to draw lots for ballot positions.

The following list shows all candidates who filed nominating petitions for county executive, county commissioner, Allentown's mayoral and city council races and council and board of supervisor races in the county's townships and boroughs. Also included in the listing are candidates who filed for school board, auditor, tax collector and constable races. Candidates for judges of election and inspectors of election are not listed.